> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uplifter.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What happens when a family disputes a payment or their bank returns it?

> How a payment dispute, a chargeback and a returned bank payment show up on the invoice, who is emailed, and what you can do at each stage.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * **A chargeback is started by the family's bank, not by your club.** Your balance is debited, the items are cancelled and the invoice shows **Charged back**, with no refund action.
  * **Only Uplifter can submit a defense.** To fight a chargeback, reply to Uplifter within 5 business days of the **Chargeback filed** email.
  * **Winning doesn't bring items back.** If the dispute is resolved in your favour, the money comes back, but cancelled items are not restored automatically.
  * **A returned bank payment is different.** The family keeps their items and the invoice reopens as unpaid so they can pay again.
</Note>

**Two different problems.** A chargeback is a dispute: the family's bank takes a payment back from your club. A returned bank payment is not a dispute: a bank debit came back unpaid (for example, insufficient funds or a closed account). Neither is a refund you issued ([a failed or reversed refund](/club/refunds-cancellations/refund-fails-or-bank-reverses) is different).

| Stage | What happens | What you see |
| - | - | - |
| Dispute opened | Nothing is debited or cancelled yet. | Admins get **Payment dispute opened**. The invoice doesn't change. |
| Chargeback filed | Your Uplifter balance is debited, the items are cancelled and recurring billing on that charge stops. | The invoice reads **Charged back**. Admins get **Chargeback opened** (subject "Chargeback filed"). The family gets **Access revoked after a chargeback**. |
| Dispute won | The money returns to your balance, but cancelled items stay cancelled. | **Payment history** shows **Chargeback reversed** as money coming back. Admins get **Chargeback reversed** (subject "Payment dispute resolved in your favour"). |
| Bank payment returned | Nothing is cancelled. The invoice reopens as unpaid and the family is asked to pay again. | A **Payment returned** box. Admins get **Bank debit returned**. |

**On a Charged back invoice.** The badge takes priority over every other status, and a red box reads: "This payment was returned by the customer's bank on \[date]. The items were cancelled automatically and no refund was issued by staff." The bank's reason and a reference sit below it. There's no **Issue refund**: the money is already back with the payer, and it counts against what the invoice can refund.

**Payment history.** Rows read **Chargeback pending** (nothing taken yet), **Charged back**, **Payment returned** or **Chargeback reversed**, each with the reason and a reference.

**Fighting a chargeback.** Only Uplifter can defend a dispute with your payment processor. When **Payment dispute opened** arrives, send Uplifter your evidence quickly: the window is short. Once **Chargeback filed** arrives, reply within 5 business days, or the debit stands. Both emails, and **Bank debit returned**, include the reason the bank gave.

**If you win.** Stopped billing restarts where it's safe to. Otherwise the email says why it was left stopped. It lists what is "Still cancelled", not restored "because the place may have gone to someone else in the meantime", so restore any you want back from the order.

**A returned bank payment.** The box reads: "The customer's bank returned this payment on \[date]. Nothing was cancelled: the invoice was reopened as unpaid so the family can pay again. Cancelling the invoice cancels the items." It updates once the invoice is paid again or cancelled. Clicking **Cancel invoice** warns that this cancels "those enrollments, memberships, passes and store items, restocks inventory, and can't be undone".

**What families see.** On their family portal order, a chargeback says "The items on this order were cancelled and no refund was issued." A returned payment reads "Your spot is still held - pay again to keep it." Both give your club's contact email.

**Finding them.** In **Financials > Invoices**, set **Filter invoices > Status** to **Charged back**. On **Financials > Transactions**, each chargeback or bank return is a negative row of type **Chargeback** (filter **Type > Chargebacks**). A won dispute turns positive, with the status **Reversed**.

**Related:** [What happens if a refund fails or the bank reverses it?](/club/refunds-cancellations/refund-fails-or-bank-reverses) · [How do I cancel an unpaid invoice?](/club/refunds-cancellations/how-do-i-cancel-an-unpaid-invoice) · [What do the invoice statuses mean?](/club/payments-checkout/invoice-statuses-explained) · [Which emails does a family get when I refund or cancel?](/club/refunds-cancellations/emails-sent-on-refund-or-cancel)